The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-27
A STARTLING pRopos1rrcS.

Secretary Endicott Contemplates Destroytn e
Portion of the War Records.
IT, v. B.. in Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
The announcement that the Secretary Of War
is preparing to destroy considerable mass Of
the records of his department. will cause sur
prise After the flag order it would be impossi-
BILE for him to astonish any one. The curious
thing which has been in quiet progress in his
Office for some weeks is examination which
the Secretary directed 20 be made with a view
of reporting to him what records of the War
Department can be destroyed. All the chiefs Of
bureaus are under orders to report on this ques-
ton. In the Adjutant generals Office com :
mittee of three officers has been busy for some
time gathering materials for report on this
subject Just what is intended, just what
the scope of the contemplated destruction is to
be cannot be ascertained. But it is certain that
Secretary who had even q casua knowledge
of the historical Importance OF all the records
of his Office would not venture very far in the
work of destruction.
Two facts have become known which are not
OF an assuring character. When the order was
first given the proposition WAS advanced that it
would be well to DESTROY considerable portion
of the records of the FreeGmen's Bureau. The
least reflection will show that 20 more impor-
tant records in existence pertaining to the
reconstruction period. Much of the official his
tory of General Sberi6ans administration In
Louisiana is optaned in these records They
embrace the details or some Of the great politl-
cal massacres Of that time. In short, while
their destruction might be very grateful to
some of the Secretarys political friends, they
cannot well be spared from the historical
material of the government 1t is believed
that the project of destroying them has been
abandoned; but the fact thai it was considered by
some of those who received orders for general
examination shows what they suppose the
order meant. The other fact is of the same
nature but still more significant
In fact It throws startling light
upon the disposition of those into whose hands
the work of continuing the pu blication of the
records has fallen. The manuscript of the
published volumes of war records is now being
overhaued by mere copyist, who is charged
with reporting what portion of it can, with pro-
priety. be destroyed When it is remembered
that these manuscripts are the vouchers for the
correctness of the printed volume. the imbecil-
ity which conceived tn cir mutilation by partial
destruction be sufficiently measured. II 10
true that the originals of ell these papers are in
the records. But they are widely scattered.
and many were only found after prolonged
search by those having an intimate knowledge
of the records. If any OF these copies should
now be destroyed, the difficulty of finding the
originals. if comparison should become neces-
sary will be apparent.
This one fact is sufficient to show to the pub
lie what every one here, who has had knowledge
of the splendid work done by Col Scott IN com
ping the war records knows: namely. that lt
has fallen into utterly inefficient hands. The
whole blame for this rests with the Secretary OF
L
which was made, and the Secretary knew 1t, but
it was a matter within the general discretion OF
the Secretary; the President did not care to in
terfere and allowed it. The officer in charge
has been successful officer in other branches of
the service. His entire unfitness for this work
was certified in most emphatic form to the
President by as high authority there is in the
army. The result thus far has justified the
PRESIDENT g aversion to making the appoint
ment. and the extreme objections which were
made to the selection by army officers. The
fact is, there is no longer any enthusiasm about
partment Elk confederate officers and
terest than prevails in the department. The
reason is obvious. During the war its records
were, in the main, a sealed book at the South.
Its press printed a very small portion of it com
pared with what became current in the North
through the great enterprise of its newspapers
and the greater facilities for general communi-
cation. The publications now in progress are a
most interesting revelation to all confederates,
and their prominent leaders here follow the pub.
lication with intense interest When 1t comes
to study of field movements and field fighting
these books crowded with the evidences or
their magnificent fighting and skillfui general
ship. In the coming movement TO secure
efficiency in the prosecution of this work the ex-
confederate officers in Congress will render the
most efficient service.
AS long as Mr.. Endicott could not find 1t in
his heart to do service in the Union cause 1t IS
a real pity he was not confederate officer. II
he had been he would low have q better ap-
probation Of the value Of his records and the